UnitLevel 5Postgraduate

MTE5884 Advanced photovoltaics and energy storage

Faculty of Engineering

MTE5884 Advanced photovoltaics and energy storage is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Engineering, offered in 2027 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.

Credit points
6
Offered in 2027
Semester 1
Clayton
Assessment
Exam 40%
and 3 other tasks
Workload
144 hours
per semester

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Requisites

Before MTE5884

No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.

After MTE5884

No unit lists MTE5884 as a prerequisite in the 2027 handbook.

Enrolment rules

You must be currently enrolled in a master’s course in engineering or related STEM and in a related discipline. The unit assumes that you have the necessary foundational knowledge.

Equivalent units

The same content under another code. Only one of them counts.

Overview

Materials and principles for energy production, storage and conversion will be covered in detail. Topics include light harvesting materials, solar power conversion efficiency, interaction of light with matter, commercial and emerging photovoltaic technologies, concentrator PV, primary and secondary batteries, supercapacitors, water splitting (e.g. for green hydrogen production), fuel cells, and hydrogen storage.

Offerings in 2027

Teaching periodCampusMode
First semesterClaytonOn campus

Assessment

  • Online pre-class quizzesQuiz / Test
    10%
  • Project
    30%
  • Laboratory workWritten
    20%
  • Final assessmentExamination
    40%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    Appreciate why the energy landscape is changing and the role materials will play in alternate energy technologies in the broad areas of energy production, storage and conversion.

  2. 2

    Apply the theory behind the operation of photovoltaic devices to predict and quantify the performance of solar cell materials.

  3. 3

    Appraise various energy storage technologies including batteries, capacitors, and hydrogen storage, and discuss the benefits and shortcomings of each.

  4. 4

    Assess novel electrochemical technologies such as water splitting and hydrogen fuel cells.

  5. 5

    Design experiments to assess the performance of energy storage and conversion devices.

Workload and teaching

  • Workshops24 hours
  • Practical activities24 hours
  • Laboratories6 hours
  • Teaching approachActive learning

The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of 3-6 hours of scheduled learning activities and 6-9 hours of independent study per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher-directed learning, peer-directed learning and online engagement. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities.

Where it fits

MTE5884 is part of 1 area of study in the 2027 handbook.

Contacts

Chief Examiners
Professor Chris McNeill
Unit Coordinators
Professor Chris McNeill

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for MTE5884?

MTE5884 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.

When is MTE5884 offered?

In 2027, MTE5884 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.

How much work is MTE5884?

The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.

Does MTE5884 have an exam?

Yes. The exam is worth 40% of the final mark, alongside 3 other tasks.

Which majors and minors include MTE5884?

MTE5884 is part of Materials engineering.

More details

Credit points
6
Level
5
Study level
Postgraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Engineering
Organisational unit
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.125
Student contribution
SCA Band 2
Study abroad
Available